Honderden...van hand tot hand - Book review

Hundreds ... hand to
hand: gloves and mittens in the Netherlands before 1700

The first thing to say about this excellent book is that the
text is entirely in Dutch, the second is that it is extremely well illustrated.
The author, Annemarieke Willemsen, has brought together both information on gloves
that have been found in an archaeological context in the Netherlands, and
gloves that have survived, with illustrations of gloves in paintings, drawings,
manuscripts etc.

The chapters are themed mainly by glove usage, so you have
chapters on warm woollen mittens, leather work gloves, luxury leather gloves, military
gloves and gloves for sports and games. There is also discussion of gloves as a
symbol of dignity by clerics and royalty, and the giving of gloves as gifts.